A Professional Photographer Reveals The Keys To Awesome Night Photography

We cover tons of photographers, influencers, and vanlifers around these parts, which means a hefty number of images arrive at a steady pace, and we have the pleasure of sorting through them to choose the best ones to slide into posts. It gives us a solid idea of what photography trends are hot and, right now, we’re seeing a lot more night photography than we have in the past. Good news: We’re happy for this to continue indefinitely, because these pics are awesome.

Sadly, the degree to which we enjoy magical nightscapes is matched by the degree to which we have no idea how to take them. And we are so not alone — because night photography isn’t as easy as the point-and-shoot daytime experience. In these situations, we think the best option is to turn to an expert and get some guidance, which is why we sought out the amazing Rachel Jones Ross, who creates some of the best night photos we’ve ever seen.

Why Ross? Well, in addition to maintaining a killer Instagram, this full-time photographer and photography instructor is the talent behind Astralis Photography. For those of you who are not Latin scholars, “astralis” means “of a star” or “revealed by the stars.” A woman who names her company for the stars is someone we trust to tell us how to capture them in an image, right?

There’s seemingly no time in memory when Ross hasn’t been taking pictures, but she didn’t get serious about the technical aspects of the craft until she learned how to photograph the Milky Way for the first time. Of the experience, she says: “Looking at the back of my camera that night was like pulling back a curtain and peering into the universe; I was so enraptured with that image of the Milky Way that I bought my first full frame camera the next day.”

The skilled and passionate photographer made time to walk us through some important aspects of night photography, and we promise that her tips will positively impact your attempts at capturing nightscapes. They absolutely did for us.